THE SOUTHERN FASDOH COKFEDERAIIOK BULLETIH

© 2008, Some rights reserved. See site for details. http://feral-chicken.com/

Volume 9 Number 2 September 2008

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The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2

CONTENTS PAGE you may send the article as electronic mail or an attachment. If you wish to send the editor Buff's Broadside 4 computer media, 3.5 floppies, 100/250 MB Zip News 4 disk, CD and DVD-ROMS are acceptable. IBM Convention Reports 9 compatible file formats are acceptable. Media will be returned if requested. The Bulletin is laid Annotated Fanzine Listings 15 out in OpenOffice on a Pentium III based PC. Ink Southern Club Listings 17 and typewritten submissions are also graciously accepted. If youre not sure what all this means, Southern Convention Listings 20 get in touch to work out a solution. Letters of Comment 23 Throughout the Bulletin, you will find comments in italics and enclosed by brackets [like this]. Policies Those are comments from the editor, Warren The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin Buff, unless otherwise noted. Volume 9, Number 2, September 2008, is the Web Links official publication of the Southern Fandom Confederation (SFC), a not-for-profit literary The SFC web site is: organization and information clearinghouse http://www.southernfandom.com Convention dedicated to the service of Southern Science listings are from the Southern Fandom Resource Fiction and Fantasy Fandom. This issue of the Guide: http://www.scenic-city.com/sfrg Bulletin is edited by Warren Buff and is published Southern Fandom Classic Yahoo! Group: at least three times per year. Membership in the http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SouthernFandom SFC is $15 annually, running from Classic/ DeepSouthCon to DeepSouthCon. A club or Ad Rates convention membership is $50 annually. Type Full Page Half Page ¼ Donations are welcome. All checks should be Page made payable to the Southern Fandom Fan $40.00 $20.00 Confederation. The Bulletin is also available for $10.00 trades, published contributions, and letters of Pro $80.00 $40.00 comment. As we are switching from bulk mailing $20.00 to first class, I will be trimming the mailing list at the end of the year. I'll give y'all several more SFC Handbooks reminders before I start trimming, though. This amazing 196 page tome of Southern Fannish Permission is granted to reprint all articles, lists, lore, edited by T. K. F. W. Reinhardt, is now and flyers so long as the author and the Bulletin available to all comers for $5, plus a $2 shipping are credited. All art is copyrighted by the artist, and handling charge if we have to mail it. The unless otherwise specified. An exception is Handbook is also available online, thanks to the granted in the case of art that appears in a efforts of Samuel Smith, at convention flyer. www.smithuel.net/sfcbh/. The SFC Handbook Errata page is: The editor encourages submission of lengthy www.smithuel.net/sfchb/hberrata.html. written material and art covers and illos. Contributions and LoCs via electronic means are highly desirable. If you wish to use the Internet,

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T-Shirts 12-point font. The print version will be in 10- Sizes Quantity (Animals) Quantity (States) point. This editorial will be printed in 12-point Medium 0 3 font, as an exception to my rule, just in case Large 1 1 someone reading this really can't handle the squinting. The 10-point version will do just as T-Shirts are $10 each plus $3 shipping and nicely in your collection. The 12-point online handling fee if we have to mail it. The first will be plenty easy to read. If you both have selection has a color design of cute animals on vision difficulties and limited internet access, white fabric. The second selection has black send me a letter (or give me a call), and we'll design of cute icons of states on peach fabric. arrange to have a 12-point print version made for SFC Patches you. Please let this be the exception, rather than the rule. These snazzy color SFC Patches are only $5 plus $1 shipping and handling fee if we have to mail it. Also, if your mailing label has an old date on it, like, say, anything ending in 2006 or earlier, I'll be Art Credits purging you from the mailing list and just sending Cover: Various strips of Feral Chicken by Joe you an email when we post this to the website, Komenda, available at http://feral-chicken.com/ unless I hear from you between now and then. Page 22: Mike Moon In other news, I've been meeting fans from all Officers Contact Information over, and hopefully, we're beginning to see a resurgence of Southern Fandom. My generation President Warren Buff, 2144 B Ravenglass Pl, has a whole ton of active folks, and we're just Raleigh, NC 27612; [email protected] starting to discover each other. I blame these Vice-President Julie Wall, 470 Ridge Road, recent discoveries on observant members of the Birmingham, AL 35206; [email protected] elder generations who've been pushing us towards Secretary Tom Feller, PO Box 140937, each other. You know who you are. Thanks. Nashville, TN 37214-0937; To my generation: I'm glad you're reading this [email protected]; zine, whether in print or online. I encourage you http://homtetown.aol.com/tomfeller to read the Southern Fandom Confederation Treasurer Janet Hopkins, 308 Dunbar Cave Rd, Handbook, which documents the glorious past of Clarksville, TN 37043; Southern Fandom. And I have something [email protected] important to note about it: today can be our glorious past. I hope you'll share it with me. Buff's Broadside One final note: I'll try not to take much time with Alright, I've hit upon a dilemma. It's expensive to this, but I'm working on a bid to bring the 2010 print the Bulletin, but still necessary. I want to NASFiC to Raleigh. The website is keep this an active forum for Southern Fandom, www.RaleighNASFiC2010.org – check it out. with a good loccol, lots of conreports, and other articles as they come in. Lastish, I made the decision to publish the zine in Southern Fandom News & Such miniscule 9-point font. I caught a little hell for New Southern Fandom Google Group that, since not all of our readers have perfect vision. So I'm going to attempt a compromise Laura Haywood-Cory has started up a new here. The online version of this zine will be in Google Group for fans across the South (and in

Page 4 The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2 the border states, of course) of all persuasions. white photos transported me to Rick's Cafe and We're trying to keep an open feel to it, like the had all the energy of a street bazaar. Photos of RTSFS list all are welcome who would call camel caravans, narrow streets with a Moroccan themselves fans and want to communicate with feel, marketplace scenes, Bedouin traders having others who do. The group is called Southern afternoon tea, ancient ruins crumbling into the Fandom (easy, yeah?) and can be found at desert sand, and a few lovely ladies - one even in http://groups.google.com/group/southern-fandom a belly-dancing costume. I was completely enchanted. Every envelope held treasures, both for Jack's family and for SF Fandom. Ruth told Adventures in Speerology, Part 1 me stories and we laughed a lot; it was lovely. We by Patricia Rogers especially had fun trying to figure out who all [Patricia did indeed write up a series of these theshapely young ladies were in the photos, and anecdotes. This is the first part, and further one in particular who was in many of the photos. installments are slated to appear in Askance #10, (These photos were taken long before Ruth met Planetary Stories #12, and Challenger #29. Jack!) These originally appeared as posts on mailing The next box was full of fanzines - no surprise lists, and are reprinted with Patricia's there. But wait...there was a surprise: they were permission. I encourage y'all to explore the other all addressed to Roy Tackett! Several of us in the zines and read the rest. - Warren] SF club here had wondered what happened to If y'all don't mind I will share with you my Roy's fanzines. We thought maybe some of his adventures in helping Ruth sort though Jack collection went to the Williamson Collection at Speer's papers. Maybe I should be writing this up ENMU in Portales but no one was sure. Ruth said as a continuing saga for a fanzine, as this process to me, Jack was the executor of Roy Tackett's is going to take awhile. If y'all have suggestions estate. Oh My! I thought as my brain reeled. Is it on a fanzine vs. posting it here - please let me possible that Roy Tackett's fanzine collection is know. I will forward this over to Mike Glyer too. here too? Certainly the bag after bag of fanzines In my heart I think every day I spend with Ruth, that had been mailed to Roy make that a real and going though Jack's papers on my own, will possibility. bring amazing discoveries. Today was packed full Next we went into Jack's office. There was a five- of them and all in the space of about 3 hours. foot-tall stack of large boxes, each in the shape of I had told Ruth I would drop by around 3pm, and a filing cabinet drawer. Written in pencil on each out of respect for Jack's noted punctuality I one was my name: Pat. Ruth said Jack had started arrived at 3pm on the nose. Ruth had 3 boxes of writing my name on boxes of SF papers he papers waiting for me in the living room. In the wanted to make sure I found. That was the only first box there were half a dozen envelopes of moment of the afternoon that really had me close photos labeled with dates ranging from 1938 to to tears. I had no idea he had been doing that and 1951. The first one we opened was chock-full of it made me think, Wow - he really did trust me to treasures, wonderful photos of Jack and several do the right thing. I have to work very hard not to that looked to me like folks at SF meetings. I let him down. stared at them thinking: Is that Ed Hamilton? - Is Ruth took me to an outbuilding and in the that Henry Kuttner? (And, YES! I am going to afternoon heat we unlocked and slid the doors scan them for y'all to see.) The next envelope open to reveal (in the words of Howard Carter) contained photos from Jack's years in Algeria, the Wonderful Things, and many more boxes. Some envelope was dated 1945. The small black-and-

Page 5 The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2 were labeled FAPA, but Ruth said that is not Scientifiction necessarily what is in them now. I had already First Fandom Report Fall 2001 and Winter 2002 seen all the boxes in the garage but have not been ASFACTS NM newsletter May 1993 up to the attic yet, where Ed (Jack's son) tells me Notes for Bob Peterson #49 March 1993First there are even more boxes. We have our work cut Fandom Membership Roster 2002 out for us, but for me it is a labor of love to make DUFF Corroboree #4 Feburary 1993 sure Jack's papers are preserved and stay together WABE #1 and #5 for future Science Fiction fans to study and enjoy. File 770 #53 Ruth did tell me about the two Great Floods. Minutes of 1984 WSFS Business Meeting When they were living in Washington State Terry Hughes eulogy around 1950-1960 the basement of their home Science Fiction FiveYearly Nov 2001 flooded on two occasions. Ruth said Jack did not I started reading the Science Fiction FiveYearly throw a thing away but as I picked up a file folder and found an article by Greg Benford entitled of papers that had been glued together with How to Write a Scientific Paper. At one point, I ancient mold I flashed on how the first researcher was laughing so hard I wondered if my fellow of the Dead Sea Scrolls must have felt... Just how waylaid travelers were worried about the crazy are we going to unscramble this? lady in the car beside them, laughing hysterically. Ruth and I talked photos some more and she told That didn't slow me down... I just kept reading me about some she knew they had of Jack and laughing. Williamson sitting under their apple tree in the I can see that sorting Jack's papers is going to be a backyard of their first home in Albuquerque. I'll wonderful learning experience for me. I'm just let you know when we find those. We also went sorry he is gone and I can't share my joy with into the closet and looked for Jack's beanie hat. him. We did find one but not the one we were looking Every zine had pencil corrections by Jack of for. punctuation and spelling errors. It made me smile Finally I loaded 4 boxes of stuff into the car and every time I saw one. headed home. Ruth said it would help her if I would take the boxes home and store them as she goes through stuff, so she has work space. That is The Rise and Fall of Lois Lane (part 1) fine... I will just make my guest room into Speer by Jeff Thompson Storage Land until we get stuff packed up and out The year 1970 brought about a major upheaval in to the library. the structure and format of almost every comic Half way home I got waylaid by a traffic jam book published by National Periodical caused by an accident. I-25 became a parking lot Publications—DC Comics. Virtually no DC title and we all just sat in our cars for close to an hour. was left untouched by the company’s radical I thought, Gee - what shall I read? I reached over campaign to modernize its magazines and my shoulder into the backseat and like the Claw characters in an effort to maintain and increase of a carnival game machine grabbed what was on reader interest—and to keep ahead of the already top and brought it up to see what prize I had won. eminently modern Marvel Comics Group. In the inch of papers I picked up was - At DC, the early 1970s were the halcyon years of CORFLU progress report #1 1993 the powerless Diana Prince and her imaginative Trans Altantic Fan Fund newsletter 1992 adventures with I Ching, Jonny Double, The Space Collectors Catalog Catwoman, Fafhrd, and the Grey Mouser; of the

Page 6 The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2 more human, albeit less powerful, Superman and In 1970, for the first time since Superman’s his strange, power-sapping duplicate of sand; of Girlfriend Lois Lane had begun in Showcase Supergirl’s updating, variety of costumes, and on- #9-10 (July-August & September-October 1957) and-off super-powers; of Robin the Teen and continued a few months later in its own Wonder’s solo work at college and the Batman’s magazine, its title was fully realized. After the lone adventures in urban Gotham City; of turn of the decade, readers began to see Lois Lane Superman’s non-Batman team-ups in World’s in stories spotlighting her and her abilities, with Finest Comics; of the hip, plain-clothed Teen Superman in the background, instead of vice Titans; of Jack Kirby’s New Gods, Forever versa. Furthermore, readers saw Lois in People, Darkseid, Mister Miracle, and Kamandi; situations that made them know what it was like and of Kirby’s dazzling revitalization of to be Superman’s girlfriend—Lois and the Man of Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen. Perhaps most Steel kissed much more frequently, they had memorable is Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams’s candlelight dinners, and they occasionally had a award-winning Green Lantern/Green Arrow saga lovers’ quarrel. Superman became much more —as well as the similarly exciting “realism” and human and “realistic,” and Lois—adorned in “relevance” surrounding Superman’s Girlfriend Werner Roth’s beautiful renderings of fashionable Lois Lane. Beginning in 1970, Lois Lane, along clothes and new hairstyles—did, too. with the new heroine Thorn, appeared in stories The old format of Lois Lane stories seemingly that brought an unprecedented new peak of was gone for good after issue #105 (October creativity and believability to the then-12-year-old 1970). No longer did Lois wear frumpy dresses Lois Lane comic book and to the 32-year-long and outdated hairdos, daydream about Superman Lois Lane character. Editor E. Nelson Bridwell, at her desk at the Daily Planet, and either become writers Cary Bates and Robert Kanigher, and endangered by criminals or get “turned into” artists Werner Roth and Vince Colletta worked something (e.g. Super-Lois, Elastic Lass, Old together to make Lois Lane truly come alive for Lois, Centaur Lois)—only to have Superman fly modern audiences. Soon, however, after the 1973 in at the end and explain, in a series of lumpy death of Roth and the 1974 cancellation of flashback panels on the last page, that it was all a Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane in favor of the hoax because Supergirl, a Superman robot, or a overcrowded Superman Family anthology, that Legionnaire had been there all along. (Members early-1970s moment of excellence vanished of the Legion of Super-Heroes made cameo forever. appearances in issues #33, 47, 50, and 56.) DC Comics published 137 issues of Superman’s Beginning with issue #105, Lois liberated herself Girlfriend Lois Lane (dated March-April 1958 to from Superman and her own wishy-washy September-October 1974). The group of issues stereotype and began a triumphant series of either which will be discussed in this article are #105 realistic, poignant dramas or credible science- (October 1970) to #130 (April 1973)—the first fiction/supernatural adventures—always at the through last of the original appearances of Rose height of fashion and feminism (or, at least, what and the Thorn. The Lois Lane issues featuring the passed for feminism in the male-dominated Kanigher-created Thorn seemed to book-end the comic-book industry of the early 1970s). rise in quality of Lois’s stories, her pinnacle of Two of the more realistic elements in Lois’s brilliance (the early-1972 issues #118, 119, 120, stories in 1970-1973 were The 100, Metropolis’s and 121), and her unfortunate decline back to—as own Mafia family (beginning with #105), and I wrote in a fanzine in 1978—“her well-worn rut Lois’s involvement with Dave Stevens, his of mediocrity.” girlfriend Tina, and the other black residents of

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Metropolis’s “Little Africa,” a ghetto for whose somnambulistic state, traversed a secret improvement Lois crusaded (beginning with passageway to an adjoining abandoned costume #106)—sometimes on her own WGBS-TV shop known only to her nocturnal personality, documentary program People, USA. In Lois Lane donned a wig and a revealing green costume, and #105, Lois learned of the existence of The 100, prowled the Metropolis streets as the vicious witnessed a violent jailbreak, and actually married Thorn, archenemy of The 100. Johnny Adonis, a condemned criminal whose last With Ross Andru, Mike Esposito, Dick Giordano, wish was to marry the Daily Planet’s star reporter. and Rich Buckler as her primary artists, the Thorn (Much to Superman’s unspoken relief, Adonis was a plausible, human heroine with a Freudian was killed before the day-old marriage could be origin that made her unique—and the many consummated.) In the famous “I Am Curious teenage and young-adult male readers thrilled to (Black)!” in Lois Lane #106 (November 1970), her trademark dressing-in-the-shadows panels in the widowed Lois Adonis used a machine at almost all of the Thorn’s 23 solo stories in her Superman’s Fortress of Solitude to turn herself early-1970s run. Rose and Thorn’s secret temporarily black in an effort to understand the passageway to the dilapidated costume shop was hardships of the residents of Little Africa. In a even explained sufficiently in Lois Lane #109 and similar “relevant” vein, Lois examined the 110 (April and May 1971). problems of the Pueblo Indians in issue #110 (May 1971) almost simultaneously as Superman A Golden Age antecedent to Rose and the Thorn memorably encountered the Navaro Indians in was Rose Canton, a psychotic young woman Action Comics #401 and 402 (June and July suffering from a split personality, in Flash 1971). Comics #89 (November 1947) and 96 (June 1948). In the end, Flash and Green Lantern Another outstanding quality of Lois Lane, as well relegated Rose’s evil alter-ego Thorn to the as many other DC comic books circa 1971, was Amazons’ kinky Transformation Island. Both the stories’ Marvel-style continuity. Not only did stories were written by Robert Kanigher, but his Lois and the Thorn guest-star in each other’s third and final Thorn story for Flash Comics was stories (most notably in #114 and 122), but Lois’s never published in its entirety. Decades later, adventures also tied in with current situations in Rose Canton, again suffering from a split Superman (e.g. Lois Lane #107 [January 1971]), personality, killed herself in Infinity, Inc. Annual Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen (e.g. Lois Lane #111 #1 (December 1985). [To be continued next ish! [July 1971]), New Gods (e.g. Lois Lane #115 -Warren] [October 1971]), and Forever People (e.g. Lois Lane #116 [November 1971]). Through all of these exciting developments, the A Brief Anecdote from Mary Pack: Thorn battled The 100 in the back of Lois’s Reminds me of the time a friend was scheduled to magazine and made Superman’s Girlfriend Lois speak at a conference in Atlanta. His speech was Lane a must-read comic book. The origin of Bob to be held in the Sherwood conference room. Kanigher’s Rose and the Thorn was similar Pressed for time, he stopped to ask the concierge enough to Batman’s beginnings to characterize directions to the meeting room and inadvertently the Thorn as a female Batman or another creature- asked for the Sherman room. of-the-night type. Rhosyn “Rose” Forrest was so devastated when her detective-father Phil Forrest The elegant Southern woman smiled sweetly and was slain by The 100 that her personality split in replied with her most tony Southern accent, Sir, I two. Every night, the gentle Rose left her bed in a believe you could search from one end of Atlanta

Page 8 The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2 to the other and you will nevuh, EVUH find a Opening ceremonies took place immediately Sherman room. afterward in the same room, so we kept the “Debbie Fans” and waved them when Debbie was Convention Reports introduced. There were no major events on Hypericon 4 (June 27-29) Friday night, but there were several panels on By Tom Feller another floor that I attended. They included “My First Novel”, “What you need to know about the Although this convention was right here in publishing industry?” and “Heroes of the Small Nashville, our preparation for this convention Screen”. Glen Cook revealed that his first novel began a little early. On Monday, I printed out the was a 1,000 page Tolkien imitation that has never tentative schedule from the convention’s web site been published, which he considers fortunate. In and gave it to Anita. Since our friend Debbie the last panel, the participants observed that the Hussey was to be the fan guest of honor, Anita George Reeves Superman series never had the decided that we needed to give her some moral colorful villains featured in the Adam West support. Anita had me scan and print out a few Batman and that Smallville has gone on too many pictures of Debbie from which she made four years. fans. “Debbie Fans,” she called them. She also made a poster listing Debbie’s fannish I then returned to the main room in time for a accomplishments. Debbie was on two panels for belly dancing performance. The hotel features an which the panelists were listed as “Debbie accessible roof, and the con sponsored a Middle- Hussey, Others”, so Anita had me make a sign Eastern picnic there. Anita and I visited it before that said “The Others”. going home. Debbie’s first panel was scheduled for 5 PM on As I mentioned earlier, we hosted Adrian Friday, so I wrapped up my work by 3 PM. After Washburn from Birmingham for the weekend. I running a few errands, we arrived at the hotel, the was the first one to awaken Saturday morning and Days Inn-Stadium, by 4 PM. It was probably a was outside on the patio reading a book when good idea that we got there early. We were Adrian got up and joined me. Then Anita got up, sharing the hotel with an antique car show all and we ate breakfast and read the morning paper. weekend, and parking places were at a premium We planned to be back at the hotel in time for until Sunday afternoon. We registered, met up Debbie’s other panel on Nashville fandom. Anita with Adrian Washburn who was to be our house and Adrian had a mild disagreement on the year guest for the weekend, and visited the con suite of the first Kubla-Khan, so I went on the Internet for Diet Cokes before proceeding to the panel to Sam Smith’s Southern Fandom web site and room, which was just down the hall. The title of printed out the 15 page history of Nashville the panel was “Why do we do this?” referring to fandom that Dan Caldwell and others wrote in running SF conventions. We distributed the 1996. (The first Kubla-Khan was in 1973, by the “Debbie Fans” to more friends of Debbie. Co- way.) Chairman Fred Grimm conducted the panel like We returned to the hotel in time to do a walk- an interview, and Debbie told how she discovered through of the dealer’s room and the art show fandom while attending Western Kentucky before Debbie’s panel. Fred recruited Anita, Dan University, the Bowling Green Gopher Squad, Caldwell, Ray Jones, and Eric Jamborsky to join who volunteered at area conventions, and the Debbie. Anita anticipated that there would be no origin of Con-Cave. Anita presented Debbie with table tents, so she got out her “The Others” sign her poster and the “fan club” cheered and waved and placed it before them on the table. They their “Debbie Fans”.

Page 9 The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2 discussed the origins of the Nashville club and latter tricks like spoon-bending. Kubla-Khan. It was so interesting that we Finally, Anita and I visited the video room, where continued the panel in the con suite for a least half we watched some short films. My favorite was an hour later. We made a space for ourselves that one in which Superman and Bizarro act the parts we stayed there until Adrian got hungry and of George and Lenny from John Steinbeck’s Of decided to order pizza. Mice and Men. By this time, I felt too tired to cut About 6 PM the con suite shut down so that they the grass, so we went to see Wall-E. It was one of could prepare dinner. Anita and I attended a panel the best science fiction films I’ve seen in a long on writer’s block in which several authors shared time, and you forget that it is a cartoon until the their strategies, which mostly consisted of human characters appear. relaxing and letting go. By that time, the costume Westercon (July 3-6) contest was ready to start, and there were seven By Tom Feller entries. While the judges were making their decisions, a Lavergne, Tennessee acting group This is not one of our regular conventions. In “The Known World Players” did a pirate skit. fact, neither Anita nor I had ever attended one before. However, the announcement that it was to Afterward, the con suite reopened, where they be held in Las Vegas got my attention two years served spaghetti and tacos for dinner. After ago. Anita had never been to Las Vegas, and I eating, Anita and I visited two parties before had only been there once before. I brought up going to see Sideshow Bennie and the Music City attending Westercon when we began planning our Burlesque. Bennie takes the tradition of fire- vacations for this year. We received a fairly eating and sword swallowing to an extreme. He sizable refund and would also receive the pounds nails and screwdrivers into his nose, lets maximum tax rebate, so the funds were available, audience members staple five dollar bills to his and we decided to give it a try. chest, and lifts weights using piercings on various body parts. The burlesque show featured the Actually, I turned out to be the weak link in my strippers Monique Honeybush, Lucy De Lovely, scheming. Less than a week before leaving, I Diletta Delight, and Miss Lolly Pop. Only people contracted bronchitis, although I did not realize eighteen and older were allowed to view it. this until after the convention. I started coughing the Monday before the con but thought I was There was a dance afterward with music by the coming down with a cold. I took the precaution local band Zombie Bazooka Patrol, but their of buying Claritin, which I have used in the past music was not to our taste, so after thirty minutes, with some success, and Ricola cough lozenges. we drove home in the rain. (I’m a sucker for ads that use Swiss yodelers.) We slept a little bit longer Sunday morning, but We left Thursday, and the coughing was very were still up in time to drive back to the hotel for minor until Saturday afternoon, when I had a breakfast, sponsored by Chattacon. It was too wet coughing fit. However, Saturday night was the for me to cut the grass, anyway. Breakfast worst, when I had a hard time breathing. I got featured fresh fruit that they had purchased that through the night, but found it difficult to sleep morning in the nearby farmer’s market. A from then on. magician, Big Daddy Cool, performed a little Nonetheless, we went. We took a direct street magic in the panel room and discussed the Southwest flight there on Thursday and arrived influence that Star Wars and The Matrix had on while it was still in the middle of the afternoon. magic performers. The former inspired a lot of After picking up a rental car from Avis, we drove magicians to perform mentalist tricks and the to the Luxor. This is a hotel and casino built in

Page 10 The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2 the form of a pyramid, and there are a sphinx and hotel’s convention center. We immediately an obelisk in front of it. All Las Vegas casinos discovered that to get from one part of the hotel to provide free parking, although here we had the another, you had to walk through the casino. most difficulty finding a place than in any casino Imagine that! There was no line at registration, that weekend. After driving around for about 10 and we quickly picked up our badges. We saw minutes, we finally found one way, way in back. Milt Stevens shortly afterward and spent about an The high temperatures were above 100 each day, hour talking to him before opening ceremonies. and the parking garages connected to the major After the ceremony, we found the con suite and casinos are huge. After we got inside, we were attended one room party, Pasadena for Westercon disappointed to find that the King Tut exhibit was in 2011. In all there were two Westercon bid closed, and from what we heard from people who parties (the other one was San Jose), and two live in Las Vegas, there are no plans to re-open it. Worldcon bids, Seattle and Reno, holding parties. Southwest did not provide a meal, so we were There were a few other parties as well through the hungry and visited a McDonald’s in the Luxor weekend. food court. Then we started a tradition that we The time change worked against us, so we woke would sacrifice $1 to the casino gods every time up and fell asleep early. We decided to do our we visited one. All the slot and video poker tourist stuff in the mornings and spend the rest of machines accept $1 bills so we would play as the day at the convention. Friday morning we long as our dollar lasted. Sometimes we were drove back to the Strip and first visited Paris Las able to play for as long as five minutes! We then Vegas. There are replicas of the Eiffel Tower and walked outside so that we could take pictures of the Arch de Triumph in front of the casino, and the sphinx and obelisk. We were also we took pictures. From the parking garage to the disappointed that the tram to the Mandalay Bay casino, you walk down a promenade of shops and and Excalibur casinos was not running. (Later we restaurants which were decorated in a Parisian found out that it was really running, but did not style. We stopped at one restaurant for coffee and stop at the Luxor any more.) By this time, we pastries. After sacrificing our dollar, we drove to were getting tired and decided to drive to the the Venetian. As the name indicates, the theme is convention hotel, although we took our time and Italian. They also have gondola rides, and this first drove the length of Las Vegas Boulevard, aka was one of Anita’s highest priorities for the trip. “The Strip”. Traffic was heavy, so I had to watch The Venetian also has a promenade of shops and the road, but Anita enjoyed looking at the various restaurants with a canal running down the middle. casinos. We were there early enough that the line was Westercon took place at the J.W.Marriott Las short, and we had our ten minute ride. Vegas Resort and Spa at Summerlin. This was Returning to the convention, we visited the about as far away from the Strip, as you could get dealer’s room and art show. There was supposed and still be in Las Vegas. From the Strip, we took to be a fannish discussion of the TV show Lost, Sahara Boulevard to I-15, then to U.S. 95, then but there was no moderator and it did not come Summerlin Parkway, and exited at Ramparts off. However, two local fans were there and gave Boulevard. The Marriott has over 500 rooms and us some advice on what to see and do. We then is spread out. We and most of the fans were in the attended a panel on “Classic Science Fiction” Palms Tower, one of two room towers on the featuring Ben Yalow, Jacqueline Lichtenberg, and property. All the room parties and the con suite Milt Stevens. Ben somewhat arbitrarily limited were there as well. After checking in and the discussion to works written between 1926 and unloading our luggage, we proceeded to the 1968. Then we went to “Star Trek – To Boldly go

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WHERE?” The panel was dominated by a fan and played as well. I had some beginner’s lunch who had worked for Gene Roddenberry, and he and won $52. However, we gave it back to the revealed the next Star Trek movie would involve hotel by using it to pay for dinner that night. time travel. There were only seven contestants in the costume Lynn Gold gave a concert that night in the contest, but the organizers were so creative that it Valencia room, which is on the convention felt like more. While the judges were out, they center’s second floor. It opens out into an outdoor had a very entertaining talent contest. Then we area from which many fans watched the attended more room parties. Independence Day fireworks. The Marriott is I had a coughing fit that night, so we rested uphill from the strip, which we could see, and Sunday morning by watching a Law and Order several of the casinos had fireworks. The Eiffel marathon on the USA network. We ordered room Tower was very distinctive, and the fireworks service for breakfast and stayed in the room until almost made it look like it was on fire. From it was 24 hours before our flight was scheduled to another direction, we could also see fireworks in depart the next day. We then walked over to the the Red Rock Canyon area, and they were close business center and printed out our boarding enough to hear them as well. Then we visited passes. Anita wanted to try the swimming pool so more room parties before turning in. we made a visit. To her surprise, the water was Saturday morning, we visited Caesar’s Palace, too cold for her, despite the 110+ temperature where we walked through the Forum Shops to the outside. After cleaning up, we drove to the strip Atlantis show. It features the animatronics and visited the Treasure Island casino. One of my technology common in Disneyland. We had a late main goals for the weekend was to see the pirate breakfast at Planet Hollywood before driving ship sink during the free show, The Sirens of down Las Vegas Boulevard just in time to see the Treasure Island, in front of the casino. There was fountain show at the Bellagio. Then we returned a strong breeze, and several announcements that to the convention. they might have to cancel the show, which Our first panel was “Core Fandom: An Outside’s involves fires and aerial acrobatics. Fortunately, View”, moderated by Mike Glyer and including they want through with it. The sirens are played Lynn Gold, John Hertz, and Kevin Roche. The by 10 Las Vegas showgirls in skimpy costumes. term was coined by Arnie Katz, and John They lure a pirate on board their ship. When his telephoned Arnie before the panel. According to companions sail their ship close by to rescue him, John, Arnie did not mean for the term to be the sirens sink it. The pirates then swim to the exclusionary, although some fans have taken it sirens’ ship, where they dance with the sirens. It’s that way. He only meant for it to describe fanzine hard to say who captures whom. fans, both active and inactive. People commented We then took a tram to the Mirage, but the that fans have the unfortunate tendency to be exploding volcano show was shut down for exclusionary. One woman in the audience felt renovation. Our next stop was the Sahara, which looked down upon because she liked Dragoncon, is an older casino and not as impressive as the for instance. new ones. Finally, we drove downtown to We then attended the DUFF auction by Steve and Fremont Street but did not stop. We were getting Sue Francis. Anita bought a stuffed flying tired and returned to the convention hotel. There monkey. We had a little time, so Anita and I went was a dead dog party in the con suite, and we into the casino. Anita likes to play roulette, and talked to Milt Stevens, John Hertz, and Larry there was no one else at the table, so I sat down Niven before calling it a night.

Page 12 The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2

We checked out of the hotel the following his King Kong character under a different name to morning and drove back to the strip en route to avoid lawsuits. If you ever saw the sequel Son of the airport. Since Mandalay Bay is the casino Kong, you may remember that at the beginning he closes to the airport, we had breakfast there is fleeing from process servers, and everyone in before turning our car in. Then we took the New York is suing him. shuttle to the airport and flew home. Chattacon’s party was serving lunch by the pool, After returning from Las Vegas, I went to my so that is where Anita and I ate. I talked with Ken doctor who diagnosis was acute bronchitis. She Moore for a while. He has had health problems in prescribed an anti-biotic and a special cough recent years, but is feeling better. I then visited medicine. I did have to be careful about driving the dealers alley without buying anything before and operating heavy machinery. I was also attending the guest of honor speeches. Uncle forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages while Timmy and Mark Paulk, a friend of Timmy’s taking the meds. from Huntsville, hosted a panel on the ten books Libertycon 21 (July 11-13) a “real” science fiction fan must read, except that By Tom Feller Mark’s list had far more than 10 books. He listed far more military science fiction than I would The Libertycon hotel, the Comfort Inn and Suites have. in East Ridge, Tennessee, was booked up by Sunday afternoon of the convention the previous We rested until the performance by the Atlanta year, and Anita and I were on the waiting list. Radio Theatre Company’s of four new radio About ten days before this year’s con, we got an plays. They were all new plays: Katherine e-mail from Brandy Spraker, Uncle Timmy’s Kurtz’s “The Gargoyles Shadow”, “The Atomic daughter, that there were rooms available, and we Graveyard” (a Rory Rammer episode), Desmond made a reservation. We appreciated getting a Warzel’s “Wiki History” and Thomas Berry’s room in the convention hotel and not having to “Haunted Hunters”. Daniel Taylor reprised his drive to and from the overflow hotel. role of a chaplain with too much another imagination from one of last year’s plays and was We did not attend any programming Friday night, hilarious. We then visited more parties. because Constellation had a room party at 7 PM. We paid them a visit and ate a lot of their food. We were out of the room Sunday morning by 11 Then I went to the lobby for the ice cream social AM and each attended a panel. Anita went to before we proceeded to the Xerps in 2010 party. “Our changing understanding of the solar system”, and I went to a panel on editing. Toni We took it easy Saturday morning, but got up Weisskopf revealed that Baen only looks closely early enough for me to take in a noon panel on at about 1% of the manuscripts they receive. giant gorilla movies in honor of King Kong’s 75th Then we got on the road for the drive home. Birthday. The discussion leader, Mark Berry, has written a book on dinosaurs in movies. I asked Denvention 3, the 66th World Science Fiction him about a man who claimed to play the original Convention (August 6-10) King Kong in a gorilla suit, but Mark reassured By Warren Buff me that it was a hoax. All the scenes with the title Everybody's gotta have a first time. This was my character featured stop motion animation by first Worldcon. I found myself being stopped by Willis O’Brien. He also briefly discussed the friends from around Southern Fandom before I sequel, the remakes, and Mighty Joe Young. He even made it to Registration. I was handing out has a pet theory that the character played by copies of the SFCB before I even got my badge. Robert Armstrong in Mighty Joe Young is really And I had twenty pounds of Eastern NC barbecue

Page 13 The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2 in the minifridge in my room. Warren Buffett?” jokes. I also collected stickers My first stop was the fanzine lounge, where I not for the Reno and Seattle in 2011 bids, Australia in only met Chris Garcia and Hope Liebowitz, but 2010, San Jose in 2011, Nippon's thank-you party, got to participate in a one-shot (which I still CapClave, the Brave New Worldcon 1984 party, haven't seen). Guy and Rosy Lillian showed up, Texas Fandom, Xerps, my own party for the and I seem to recall seeing Tom and Anita Feller, NASFiC bid, Scandinavian Fandom, and three Gary and Corlis Robe, and Richard and Nicki stickers which I can't identify, one of which came Lynch in there over the course of the weekend, from the WSFA suite. My name, the convention though the exact order escapes me. name, and my hometown all got somewhat obscured. See, the timing of things is a bit of a blur. I got my first real taste of bid politics, my first fanzine The hardest part about the elevation was that even lounge, my first exposure to Denver's elevation, drinking far more water than I ordinarily do, I still my first WSFS Business Meeting, and my first got a killer hangover off of only a few sips of stint staffing a Worldcon, all in one weekend, liquor on the first night. It made the Business combined with the urge to see absolutely Meeting the most headache-inducing use of my everybody who was there. Oh, how I tried. Philosophy degree ever, and I completely understood what Janice Gelb meant when she But that's the greatest and worst thing about turned around and said, “You see, this is why I Worldcon there's so much going on that it's just say the Business Meeting makes me want to not possible to spend time with everyone you gouge out my eyes with a spoon.” want to, even if you trim back your sleep. And the way I was trimming it back, I was barely Other prominent Southern Fans I got to see making my 5-2-1 most days. included Judy Bemis and Tony Parker, Naomi Fisher and Pat Molloy, Steve and Sue Francis, Which brings me around to badge ribbons. The Toni Reinhardt, Joel Zakem, Julie Wall, Uncle first ribbon I was given, right there in the fanzine Timmy, Kerry Gilley, Lee Martindale, Joe Siclari, lounge, was one reading “Lather! Rinse! Repent! Tim Miller, and there must have been others who Hygene 6:2:1” from Kevin Roche. Chris Garcia got lost in the rush. Oh, and I was rooming with was quick to give me an “I'm Just Talking About Dan Caldwell, who bears mentioning, and we TAFF” ribbon, too. Andy Trembley gave me a were right next to the Xerps party suite. I “Snoo-Snoo” ribbon, and I got one promoting certainly met some new folks. And it wasn't just Eric in the Elevator. I added one of my own for the South, of course I also met Dina and Sydnie the NASFiC bid, and picked up one for San Jose's Krause, from Chicago. Sydnie's in school down Westercon bid. The other one I got, which was here in NC, and so they wanted to get involved my favorite after Kevin's, was “not an Official with the bid. I got to spend a lot of time talking to Ribbon.” The only one I saw which I really folks from various bids, including Ben Yalow, coveted and couldn't get was “The Wrong Sort of Theresa Renner, Ruth Sachter, and most of the Fan.” Maybe some year I'll be cool enough to be others from Reno, and Bobbie DuFault and her the wrong sort of fan. crew from Seattle. I was also introduced to Dave These were, by no means, the only decoration my McCarty of Chicago and Petra Bulic from Zagreb. badge received. I added my staff ribbon and a I spent some time talking with Bill Parker, though koala, and was nearly covered in stickers by the he was busy most of the time, and Rene Walling, hosts of various parties. Chicago in 2012 did me who had a few details to go over about the bid a disservice by slapping theirs onto the final F of process at Montreal. my last name, leading to a spate of “Oh, like

Page 14 The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2

I was so busy talking about fandom and what is a File 770, #153, published by Mike Glyer, 705 fan and things like that all weekend that the only Valley View Avenue, Monrovia, CA 91016. program items I got to attend were the Opening Available for $8 for 5 issues. Fannish news, Ceremonies, the Business Meetings, and the obituaries, reviews, letters, and feature articles on Hugos. I shamefully missed the Fannish fandom. Mike compares the skills of Robert Inquisition because I was out shopping for my bid Silverberg and Mike Resnick as masters of party. I heard from a lot of folks who wondered ceremonies, Larry Niven and John Hertz reports why I hadn't been there. I just honestly hadn't on the Eaton Conference, Mike reports on Corflu, realized it would be on Thursday. and Bill Warren remembers Walt Daugherty. There are, of course, many more things I could Feline Mewsings, #31, published by R-Laurraine tell you about Worldcon. But I won't bore you Tutihasi, 2173 East Rio Vistoso Lane, Oro Valley, with the details of how I got there and what I ate. Arizona 85755-1912. (This is an apazine written Instead, I'll keep it simple: Worldcon was for the Fantasy Amateur Press Association absolutely amazing. If you haven't been to one (FAPA) and contains Laurraine’s mailing yet, I highly recommend it. I'll be organizing a comments. However, it is available outside the carpool/caravan, if folks want to do the drive, for apa as well for $1.50 per issue.) Book and movie those of us east of the Appalachians, for those reviews who want to go to Montreal. I give you my word Instant Message, #’s 803-806, newsletter of the it'll be a good time. New England Science Fiction Association, PO Annotated Fanzine Listings Box 809, Framingham, MA 01701-0809. Edited By Tom Feller by Rick Katze. Club and Boskone news. Please send zines for listing to me at PO Box Living Free, #140, published by Jim Stumm, PO 140937, Nashville, TN 37214-0937. All these Box 29, Buffalo, NY 14223. Available for $12 zines are available for trade unless noted. Also for six issues. Book reviews, reprints of and unless otherwise specified, when writing for a quotations from news articles, and essays from a sample issue, send $1 to cover postage. A SASE libertarian point of view. is likely to be too small. Lofgeornost, # 91, published by Fred Lerner, 81 Alexiad, Vol. 7, #’s 3 & 4, published by Lisa and Worcester Avenue, White River Junction, Joseph Major, 1409 Christy Avenue, Louisville, Vermont 05001. (This is another apazine written KY 40204-2040. Book, magazine, candy, horse for the Fantasy Amateur Press Association race, television, and movie reviews and letters. (FAPA) and contains Fred’s mailing comments. Joe reports on Conglomeration in #3 and their trip However, it is available outside the apa as well.) enroute to Worldcon in #4. Taras Wolansky Fred reports on his activities, books he has read, reports on the Heinlein Centennial Convention in and trips he has made. #4 Memphen, Summer 2008, newsletter of the Ethel the Aardvark, #135, newsletter of the Memphis Science Fiction Association. Edited by Melbourne Science Fiction Club, PO Box 212, Greg and Dana Bridges, 141 Stonehaven Circle, World trade Centre, Melbourne VIC 8005 Jackson, TN 38305. Book and film reviews and a Australia. Available for $40 (Australian) per year. fanhistorical article on MidsouthCon by Greg. Club calendar, SF news, television and book NASFA Shuttle, Vol. 28, #’s 6-8, newsletter of reviews, letters, and zine listings. Merv Binns the North Alabama Science Fiction Association, eulogizes Ken Slater. PO Box 4857, Huntsville, AL 35815-4857.

Page 15 The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2

Edited by Mike Kennedy. Subscription: $1.50 per Robert Sabella, 24 Cedar Manor Court, Budd issue, or $10 for 12 issues. Besides club and Lake, NJ 07828-1023. Book reviews, articles, Constellation news, there are reviews of movies, and excerpts Robert’s diaries for January through zines, and books, and letters. In #6, Mike March. eulogizes Algis Budrys and Pat McAdams, and Sue Thorn eulogizes Nelda Clark. Mike reports on Libertycon in #8. Electronic Zines Nice Distinctions, #17, published by Arthur COSMIC CORRAL, published by Maurice Hlavaty, 206 Valentine Street, Yonkers, NY Lewis, [email protected]. Maurice 10704-1814. Available for $1. Arthur updates us writes on a variety of subjects of interest to him. on his job situation, reports on the International NASHVILLE SF CLUB NEWSLETTER, edited Conference for the Fantastic in the Arts, eulogizes by Reece Moorehead, [email protected]. Kurt Vonnegut and others, and comments on (Plain text format.) Club and SF news. various subjects. THE REVENGE OF HUMP DAY, published by OASFIS Event Horizon, Vol. 21, #2, newsletter of Tim “Uncle Timmy” Bolgeo, [email protected]. the Orlando Science Fiction Society, PO Box (PDF format.) Jokes and fannish news, especially 592905, Orlando, FL 32859-2905. Edited by Libertycon. Juan Sanmiguel. Available for $12 per year. Club news and reviews. VEGAS FANDOM WEEKLY, published by Arnie Katz, [email protected]. (PDF format.) Opuntia, #’s 64.5 & 65, published by Dale Las Vegas Fannish news, letters, and fanhistorical Speirs, Box 6830, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P articles by long time fans. 2E7. Available for $3 per issue. Dale writes on a variety of subjects. WOSSNAME, Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion. Edited by Annie Mac, Probe, #137, official fanzine of Science Fiction [email protected] (Plain Text, South Africa, PO Box 781401 Sandton 2146 but requires participation in Yahoo groups.) Terry South Africa. Edited by Gail Jamieson and Kyle Pratchett and Discworld news. Brunette. Fiction, book reviews, and an interview with Lois McMaster-Bujold. Vanamonde, #’s 748-756, published by John Web Sites Hertz, 236 South Coronado Street, No. 409, Los Baryon at www.baryon-online.com. Published Angeles, CA 90057. These 2 page perzines were by Barry Hunter. Book reviews. originally published for APA-L, the weekly apa. Challenger at www.challzine.net. Published by They all have John’s mailing comments to other Guy Lillian. On-line version of Guy Lillian’s members of the apa and illustration by artists such Hugo-nominated fanzine. as Brad Foster, Marie Regenstorff, Alexis Gilliland, and Connor Freff Cochran. John eFanzines at http://efanzines.com. Published by eulogizes Johnny Hart and Brant Parker in #751 Bill Burns. Downloadable versions of many of and Marcel Marceau and Luciana Pavarotti in today’s leading fanzines, archives of older #755 and discusses the steps featured in the fanzines, and links to many fannish sites. Laurel and Hardy short film “The Music Box” in File 770 at www.File770.com. Published by #753. Mike Glyer. On-line version of Mike’s Hugo Visions of Paradise, #’s 125-127, published by Award-winning fanzine.

Page 16 The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2

It Goes on the Shelf at Rafe McGregor at http://home.sprynet.com/~nedbrooks/home.htm. http://rafemcgregor.blogspot.com. This crime Published by Ned Brooks. Includes back issues fiction author writes on Lovecraft, Poe, Doyle, of Ned’s fanzine by that name and other sites of and other related subjects. interest to Ned. Robert Sabella at http://adamosf.blogspot.com/ Mike and Laurraine’s Home Page at and http://visionsofparadise.blogspot.com/. The http://www.weasner.com/. Published by former is more personal and the latter more Laurraine Tutihasi and Mike Weasner. Personal sercon. web site. Joy V. Smith at The National Fantasy Fan Federation’s Fan http://journals.aol.com/pagadan/JoysJournal/. Dominion at www.FanDominion.com. SF news Personal journal. and reviews. Southern Clubs The New England Science Fiction Association at www.nesfa.org. Club and Boskone news. ALABAMA Research Triangle Science Fiction Society at Huntsville Anime Appreciation Society http://www.rtsfs.com. Official club web-site. [email protected]; www.haas-online.net; Meets at Haven Comics on Slaughter Rd in Scifi Dimensions at www.scifidimensions.com. Madison every Saturday, 6:30 PM Published by John Snider. Reviews and interviews. North Alabama Science Fiction Association PO Box 4857, Huntsville AL 35815-4857; Sherlockian E-Times at http://www.sherlock- www.constellation.org/nasfa/index.html; Meets in holmes.com. Sherlock Holmes news. BookMark, 11220-J South Memorial Parkway Stargate Atlanta at www.stargateatlanta.com. SW, Huntsville, every 3rd Saturday, 6 PM Club and Stargate news. ARKANSAS Toonopedia at http://www.toonopedia.com, Little Rock Science Fiction Society Little Rock, published by Don Markstein. On-line Arkansas; [email protected]; www.lrsfs.org; Meets encyclopedia of cartoons. at the coffee shop of Barnes & Noble Bookstore, VideoVista at www.videovista.net. Video on Chenal Parkway in west Little Rock every 1st Reviews. Saturday, 7:30 PM FLORIDA Web Logs The Guardians of Gallifrey 170 Broadmoor Ave, Lake Mary, FL 32746; 407-321-5953; The Fantasy Amateur Press Association at [email protected]; http://community.livejournal.com/fapa_forum/ www.angelfire.com/space/ntime; Meets Arthur Hlavaty at somewhere every 3rd / 4th Saturday/Sunday. http://www.livejournal.com/users/supergee/. Orlando Area Science Fiction Society PO Box Athur writes on a variety of subjects. 592905, Orlando, FL 32859-2905; [email protected]; Eric Jamborsky at http://causticly- www.oasfis.org; Meets in the Orange County speaking.blogspot.com/. His film oriented blog is Public Library every 2nd Sunday at 1:30 PM http://cinemaventure.blogspot.com/ South Florida Science Fiction Society PO Box

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70143, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33307-0143; Meets somewhere in Lexington every 2nd [email protected]; www.sfsfs.org; Sunday. Meets somewhere every 3rd Saturday at 2 PM Louisville Science Fiction And Fantasy Readers Stone Hill Science Fiction Association PO Box Group Meets 4th Monday at Hurstbourne Barnes 2076, Riverview, FL 33569; and Noble, 801 S. Hurstbourne; [email protected]; www.stonehill.org; www.sfreader.oseland.net; [email protected] Meets somewhere every 2nd Sunday. Western Kentucky University Speculative Fiction GEORGIA Society Annette Garrico, WKU Chem Dept, #1 Atlanta Gallifreyans Meets 3rd Saturday, Big Red Way, Bowling Green, KY 42101; Doraville Community Center, 3770 Central Ave, www.geocities.com/Pentagon/5813/wkusfs.html; Doraville, GA 30340; Meets weekly. www.atlantagallifreyans.org LOUISIANA Atlanta Science Fiction Society PO Box 98308, Babylon 504 5109 Oak Bayou Ave, Marrero, LA Atlanta, GA 30359-20098; 770-844-2256; 70072-4962; [email protected]; [email protected]; www.asfs.org; Meets at Sandy http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/eric_ Springs Library every 2nd Saturday at 2 PM benson/babylon504. Georgia Filkers Anonymous (GaFiA) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/area504/; Meets at [email protected]; members house every 3rd Saturday. www.geocities.com/sffilk/gafia.htm; meets Science Fiction Xchange Contact Harriet; monthly in Georgia. 318-798-1277; Outworlders [email protected]; http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SFXchange; www.outworlders.info; Atlanta, GA; Meets [email protected]; Meets at Podnahs BBQ (1146 various places weekly. Shreveport/Barksdale Hwy) every 1st Sunday at 2-4 PM Southern Organization of Live-Action Reenactment c/o Scott Neeley, 4835 Baker Star One Delta PO Box 45577, Baton Rouge, LA Plantation Drive, Acworth, Georgia 30101; 70895; [email protected]; [email protected]; www.solarinc.com www.staronedelta.org; Meets in Bluebonnet Library every 3rd Sunday at 2 PM KENTUCKY NORTH CAROLINA Burroughs Bibliophiles George T. McWhorter, Curator, Edgar Rice Burroughs Collection, The Guild: The UNCC Sci-Fi & Fantasy Club Ekstrom Library, University of Louisville, Charlotte, NC; http://www3.uncc.edu/theguild Louisville KY 40292; 502-852-8729; Research Triangle Science Fiction Society www.taliesan.com/panthans/erb2.htm; www.rtsfs.org; Meets in the Triangle and [email protected] maintains a mailing list. Falls of Ohio Science Fiction and Fantasy The Science Fiction Fantasy Federation SF3, Box Association PO Box 37281, Louisville, KY I-1, Elliott University Center, UNCG Greensboro, 40233-7281. Meets every 2nd Sunday. NC 27412; www.uncg.edu/student.groups/sf3/; Lexington Science Fiction and Fantasy Meets 7:30 PM every Wednesday night during Association 1825 Liberty Road #418, Lexington, academic year in Elliott University Center. KY 40505. [email protected]; www.lexfa.org; TENNESSEE

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Anime Nashville 615-883-6677; Ursa Major Science Fiction Literary Association [email protected]; PO Box 691448, San Antonio, TX 78269-1448; www.animenashville.org; Meets every 2nd [email protected]; http:// (Tower Records, Opry Mills location) and 4th groups.yahoo.com/group/UrsaMajorSciFi; Meets Thursday at 7 PM (members home). monthly. Knoxville Area Speculative Fiction Association VIRGINIA Knoxville, TN; [email protected]; Hampton Roads Science Fiction Association PO www.kasfa.org Box 9434, Hampton VA 23670; 757-930-2301; Middle Tennessee Science Fiction Society C/O [email protected]; [email protected] Anita Feller, PO Box 68203, Nashville, TN Northern Virginia Anime Association Meets 37206-8203; Meets in Green Hills Public Library monthly at the Fairfax County Government (3701 Benham Ave., Nashville, TN 37215) every Center, generally from Noon- 2nd Wednesday at 7 PM; http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MidTennSFF; 11PM; [email protected]; www.animeclub.org Mid-South Science Fiction & Fantasy Association Meets every 2nd Monday at the Main Public Virginia Tech Science Fiction and Fantasy Club Library (3030 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN); PO Box 256, Blacksburg, VA 24063; www.mssffa.org [email protected]; www.vtsffc.org; Meets in Randolph 209 every Thursday at 7:30 PM that Scholars of the Three Pipe Problem 5017 classes are in session. Maywood Drive, Nashville TN 37211; 615-327-1047; NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL [email protected]; 501st Legion Vaders Fist Star Wars Imperial www.nashvillescholars.net; Meets in The costuming organization; www.501st.com Sherlock Holmes Pub downtown Nashville monthly. Committee for the Advancement of Role-Playing Games (CAR-PGa) c/o Paul Cardwell, 1127 TEXAS Cedar, Bonham, TX 75418; Fandom Association of Central Texas PO Box http://members.aol.com/waltonwj/carpga.htm 26442, Austin, TX 78755; [email protected]; Christian Fandom www.christian-fandom.org www.fact.org; Meets monthly somewhere. International Costumers Guild Corresponding Friends of Fandom PO Box 541822, Houston, Secretary c/o Karen Heim, 2845 Lemp, St. Louis, TX 77254-1822; 713-790-0707; MO 63118-1713; [email protected]; [email protected]; www.caminfo.net/fof.html www.costume.org MSC Cepheid Variable PO Box J-1, Texas A&M International Fantasy Gaming Society PO Box University, 1237 TAMUS, College Station TX 3577, Boulder CO 80307; [email protected]; 77844-1237; [email protected]; www.ifgs.org http://cepheid.tamu.edu; Meets Tuesdays 8:33 P.M. in Rudder Tower, room 501. International Federation of Trekkers PO Box 242, Lorain OH 44052-0242; [email protected]; Several Unlimited PO Box 1766, Bellaire, TX www.iftcommand.com 77402-1766; [email protected]; www.severalunlimited.com; Meets every 2nd The Klingon Assault Group Star Trek fan Friday. organization; www.kag.org

Page 19 The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2

Mythopoeic Society PO Box 320486, San participating in the last edition of the Bulletin. He Francisco, CA 94132-0486; was recovering from the aftereffects of surgery in [email protected]; www.mythsoc.org mid-May to remove an abdominal abscess on his National Fantasy Fan Federation 25549 Byron side. While the surgery was minor, the aftermath Street, San Bernadino, CA 92404-6403; was, shall we say, messy. Further we shall not say [email protected]; in a family publication. While that was www.simegen.com/fandom/n3f inconvenient to handle, the much worse part was the antibiotic, which is normally given to people National Space Society 1620 i Street NW, Suite who have contracted staph infections. It would 615, Washington, DC 20006; 202-429-1600; make for a very good diet pill if it did not also [email protected]; www.nss.org make you feel half dead while you take it. The Rebel Legion Star Wars Rebel costuming Fortunately, the recovery went normally and the organization www.rebellegion.com; scribe lost a few pounds which he could easily [email protected]; afford. Thanks to Warren for covering for me Romulan Star Empire PO Box 5271, Terre Haute, during my indisposal. As fall approaches in the IN 47805; [email protected]; www.rsempire.org Northern Hemisphere and we look forward to the season of changing leaf colors, lets get back to Society for Creative Anachronism PO Box work. 360789, Milpitas, CA 95036-0789; [email protected]; www.sca.org September 2008 Starfleet International PO Box 94288, Lubbock, 5-7: OutsideCon 21, Montgomery Bell State Park, TX 79493-4288; [email protected]; Burns, TN. $40 at the door. $10 off if you bring a www.sfi.org tent, which is probably the only space left in the park. The con offers cabin space, but those beds United Federation of Planets Internationale P.O. are probably taken by now. You could also try Box 3157, Chula Vista, CA 91909-3157; commuting from a hotel in Dickson. This is a [email protected]; www.ufpi.org camping SF convention held west of Nashville. Convention Listings Last year it co-hosted Deep South Con, almost By M. Lee Rogers drowning the con and earning Bob Embler the Rubble Award at this years DSC in High Point at Welcome to the Bulletins convention list. This Stellarcon. The theme for 2008 is Medieval. A edition covers from September 2008 through the Queen for a Day contest will be held--they've end of March 2009. already thought of the smart-alecks and limited If you are interested in science fiction, fantasy, the contest to the female sex. As you would comics, gaming, anime, mystery, or related expect at this type of event, there are lots of genres, you should try a convention to see if you outdoor activities available to the participants. like the experience. Talk to others who have Lots of food is provided, but BYOB. Info: http:// attended to find out what a particular con is like. www.outsidecon.com. If you would like your convention listed, please 6: Librari-Con 2008, Headquarters Library, send an E-mail to your humble scribe, whose Fayetteville, NC. No mention of any fees. Held in address is [email protected] until AT&T conjunction with the East Coast Anime Society. A finally changes the domain name. one-day minicon for the anime world. Guests: Carolina 501st Garrison, Nick Capiot, Will Hays. Please accept your scribes apologies for not Panels, art exhibits, CosPlay. Libraries did not do

Page 20 The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2 things like this in your scribes youth. Times have Petersburg, FL. $30 to 10/1, $50 at the door. changed, havent they? Info: GoH: Frederik Pohl, Julie E. Czerneda, Rick http://www.cumberland.lib.nc.us/ccplyouth/teens- Wilber. Tampa Bays long-running SF and horror Librari-Con2008.htm. convention. Info: 12-14: ProtoCon 10, Memorial Student Center, http://www.stonehill.org/necro.htm Texas A&M University, College Station, TX. $15 10-12: Classic Movie Monster Con, Meadowview at the door. All-genre gaming convention. This is Marriott Conference Resort and Convention the same location as the SF convention Aggiecon. Center, Kingsport, TN. $45 at the door. GoH: Sara ProtoCon emphasizes independent publishers and Karloff. Theme: Boris Karloff: The Man prototype games. Info: http://www.protocon.con/ Remembered. Definitely aimed more at the horror con/. audience. Info: 19-21: Anime Weekend Atlanta 14, Renaissance http://www.moviemonstercon.com/. Waverly Hotel and Cobb Galleria Center, Atlanta. 17-19: Con*Stellation XXVII: Cassiopeia (27), $35 to 9/6, $45 at the door. One-day memberships Holiday Inn Express, University Drive and Jordan are available. Numerous guests who are probably Lane, Huntsville, AL. $35 to 9/26, $40 at the well known in the anime field but mean nothing door. GoH: Diane Duane. Artist GoH: Bill to your scribe. Lots of anime-related Holbrook. MC: Mike Resnick. As long as there programming. Looks like a pretty big one. Info: are constellations in the sky, the concom will keep http://www.awa-con.com. borrowing their names for each years edition. October 2008 Info: http://www.con- stellation.org/constell/index.html. 3-5: Archon 32, Gateway Center and Holiday Inn, Collinsville, IL (St. Louis area). $55 to 9/15, $60 17-19: Capclave 2008, Rockville Hilton, at the door. GoH: Laurell K. Hamilton, Artist Rockville, MD (Washington, DC area). $50 GoH: John Kovalic, Fan GoH: Rich and Michelle through 9/30, $60 to 10/16, maybe higher at the Zellich. Special guests: the creators of Mystery door. Writer GoH: James Morrow. Critic GoH: Science Theater 3000 will be celebrating their Michael Dirda. Where Reading Is Not Extinct 20th anniversary at the con. Archon hosted the (And Satire Alive and Well). The WSFA- 2007 NASFic. Info: http://www.archonstl.org/32/ sponsored annual SF convention for the District. index.php. Info: http://www.capclave.org. 3-5: Fencon V (5), Crowne Plaza North Dallas, 24-26: Hallowcon 08, Howard Johnson Plaza Addison, TX. $40 at the door. GoH: Greg Hotel, East Ridge, TN (Chattanooga area). $35 to Benford. Artist GoH: Real Musgrave. TM: 9/30, $50 at the door. Attendance limited to 400. Howard Waldrop. This SF convention also has a The guests include an astrologer. Dont know the filk component. Hosted by the Dallas Future exact count, but this con has been running for a Society. while now. They are also doing a New Years Eve party. The catch is that you must attend one of the 9-12: DomCon 5, DoubleTree Hotel, I-75 at Chattanooga-area cons to get in the party. Info: Windy Hill Road in Cobb County, GA (Atlanta http://www.hallowcon.com. area). $99 after 9/1. For those interested in the S&M dominance field, a few of whom may also 30-2: World Fantasy Convention 2008, Calgary, read these listings. Info: AB, Canada. C$150, US$150. GB75. Guests: http://domconatlanta.com/Home.htm. David Morrell, Barbara Hambly, Tom Doherty. As the name notes, the emphasis here is more on 10-12: Necronomicon 27, Hilton Bayfront, St. fantasy than science fiction per se. If that is your

Page 21 The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2 cup of tea or hemlock, this may be your kind of World SF Conventions over and over again. con. Info: http://www.worldfantasy.org. SMOFCon is their time to get together and focus November 2008 on running conventions. The bow tie refers to a New York fan named Ben Yalow who negotiated 2: Atlanta Comic Convention, Marriott Atlanta most Worldcon hotel contracts for many years and Century Center, I-85 at Clairmont Road, may still be doing so. Info: Chamblee, GA (Northeast Atlanta area). $5 at the http://www.smofcon.org/. door. The 15th annual convention. A one-day show aimed at comics fans looking to add to their January 2009 collections. Info: 9-10: Shadowcon XIII (13), Holiday Inn Select http://www.atlantacomicconvention.com/ (airport area), Memphis, TN. $25 to 9/30, $30 to 7-9: Mace 2008, Radisson Hotel, High Point, NC. 12/1, $35 to 12/25, more after. GoH: M. R. $25 to 11/5, $35 at the door. Gaming convention. Williamson. Combination SF and SCA They use the same downtown hotel as Stellarcon. convention. More belly dancing. Info: Info: http://www.shadowcon.org/index.html. http://www.justusproductions.com/mace.php. 9-11: GAFilk 11, Crown Plaza Atlanta Airport 21-23: Janicon MMVIII (2008), Hyatt Regency Hotel, College Park, GA. $30 to 11/30, $50 at the Hotel, Jacksonville, FL. 2nd annual anime and door. GoH: Barry and Sally Childs-Helton. For gaming convention. No other info because the fans of filk music, SF fandoms version of Web site sends the bytes by Pony Express. They indigenous music. Info: http://www.gafilk.org. apologize for the slowness of the site. Unfortunately, too many people will have little sympathy. Try to fix the problem, please, before we all die of boredom. Info: http://www.janicon.org. 28-30: Darkover Grand Council Meeting XXXI (31), Holiday Inn Select Baltimore, Timonium, MD. $45 to 11/1, $50 at the door. GoH: Patricia Briggs. Other guests include Katherine Kurtz. For fans of Marion Zimmer Bradleys popular fantasy series. Offers a Regency ball. Info: http://www.darkovercon.org. December 2008 5-7: SMOFCon 26, Drury Inn and Suites, Columbus, OH. $60 to 11/1, $70 at the door. If you dont know what the bow tie on the home page refers to, you probably should not bother with this one. On the other hand, a lot of SMOFs do read the Bulletin and know exactly what theyre looking at. Okay, heres the lowdown. SMOF refers to Secret Masters of Fandom. Its a partly ironic term for veteran convention fans who end up running regional cons and departments of

Page 22 The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2

23-25: Chattacon 34, Chattanooga Choo-Choo http://www.furryweekend.com. (no longer a Holiday Inn), Chattanooga, TN. $40 20-22: FantaSciCon 09, Howard Johnson Plaza to 12/31, $50 at the door. GoH: David Weber and Hotel, East Ridge, TN (Chattanooga area). $35 to Katherine Kurtz. Artist GoH: Rowena. 2/28, $50 at the door. This con is run by the same Chattanoogas longest-running SF convention just group as Hallowcon. Info: keeps chugging along. Irv would be proud. Info: http://www.fantascicon.com. http://www.chattacon.org. 20-22: MidSouthCon 27, Whispering Woods February 2009 Hotel and Conference Center, Memphis, TN. $35 20-22: ConNooga 2009, Chattanooga Choo-Choo to 12/1, $40 to 3/1, $45 at the door. GoH: Mike (still no longer a Holiday Inn), Chattanooga, TN. Resnick. Artist GoH: Vincent Di Fate. Another $25 for now, more later. ConNooga aims to please classic SF convention rolls down the river. Info: all SF and related fandoms. Info: http://www.midsouthcon.org. http://www.connooga.com. 20-22: CoastCon XXXII (32), Mississippi Gulf 27-1: SheVaCon 17, Holiday Inn Roanoke Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, MS. $35 to 2/24, $40 at Tanglewood, Roanoke, VA. $35 to 12/31, $40 at the door. Author GoH: David Weber. Fan GoH: A. the door. GoH: Larry Niven. Artist GoH: Ernie J. Brockaway. As this is written, it looks like Chan. Fan GoH: Carla Brindle. Traditional SF Biloxi has been spared a direct hit from Hurricane convention with plenty of other activities. Info: Gustav. Get those reservations in now before the http://www.shevacon.org. next hurricane hits! Info: 27-1: Concave 30, Horse Cave, KY. GoH: Marcia http://www.coastcon.org. & Tim Illingworth. $20 to 1/15, $30 at the door. Later As of the last info received, the hotel has not been 6-10 August: Anticipation, the 67th World finalized. This is the traditional small relaxicon in Science Fiction Convention, Palais des congrs de the cave section of Kentucky. There may or may Montral, Montreal, QB, Canada. C$215, US$215, not be a hotel lottery this year. Info: No web site, A$215, GB110, 135 for now. GoH: Neil Gaiman, so send E-mail to [email protected]. Elisabeth Vonarburg, Tom Doherty, David Snail mail can go to Gary Robe, P.O. Box 3221, Hartwell, Ralph Bakshi. Fan GoH: Taral Wayne. Kingsport, TN 37664. If you have any interest in science fiction or March 2009 related genres, you should try to attend a 13-15: StellarCon 33, Radisson Hotel, High Point, Worldcon before you teleport off this planet. Info: NC. $33 to January 1, 2009, $38 at the door. http://www.anticipationsf.ca. GoH: Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, Artist GoH: Letters of Comment William Stout, Gaming GoH: John Wick, Fan GoH: “Uncle Timmy” Bolgeo. The Carolinas' Alright, folks, your editor here briefly. I've taken oldest con is back for another great year with your up the editorial policy of not changing a lick of editor as chair. www.stellarcon.org what we have in our LoCs, on the assumption that I'd have to draw a line between corrections for 19-22: Furry Weekend Atlanta: Safari, Hilton spelling and grammar and over-correcting the Hotel, Atlanta, GA. $35 to 3/6, $40 at the door. fannishness out of them. Also, because I realized GoH: Matthew Ebel. Minors must have special that I needed to take the SFCB to press in the paperwork and some events are restrictedsee the same weekend as my SFPA-zine. Thankfully, most Web site for details. More fun and games with the of y'all are good writers, and the typos are furry fandom crowd. Info:

Page 23 The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2 minimal. First, we heard from Laura Haywood- Kurtz for me so I could finally meet one of my Cory: favorite authors, but alas, they weren't able to Hey Warren, locate her before I had to hop in my car to trek back home. As with the grizzly bears in Glacier Good job on your first SFC Bulletin! We need to National Park this past week, I kept *just* de-conflate the RTSFS and Trinoc-coN info in the missing her. I'd walk down a hallway and people club listings, though, if we can, and split them out would say, I saw her, she was going thataway. In into the two separate entities that they are. both cases -- the bears and Ms. Kurtz -- I was RTSFS doesn't have a PO Box, for one thing. ;) disappointed. Ah well, now that she lives one And the website is http://www.rtsfs.com. The state over instead of an ocean away, there will be website for the CON is http://www/trinoc- other opportunities, I hope. con.org. The PO Box in the listing is I *think* the Again, a very solid first ish, Warren. con's, but you should check with the current concom to make sure that's still the right box Laura Haywood-CoryDurham, NC number. [email protected] http://laurahcory1.livejournal.com/ For the fanzine listings, if individual zines in SFPA count, please feel free to add mine to the The handbook revision project currently resides list: Get off my lawn! by Laura Haywood-Cory, with M. Lee Rogers. He's recently posted about it perzine with occasional convention reviews and on the Southern Fandom Classic Yahoo Group. book and movie reviews, plus a photo or two Next, we heard from Joy Smith: thrown in for good measure. Published every two Dear Warren, months, usually runs 6-8 pages. Email version is free, send requests to [email protected]; Congratulations on your first issue!- Good cover.- for a hard copy, please send $1 to cover postage Does CAV stand for cavalry?- And my admiration to Laura Haywood-Cory, 5100 McCormick Road, goes out to M. Lee Rogers also, for taking on the Durham NC 27713. revision of the handbook. Whoever's putting together the revised Southern I enjoyed Tim and Mary Miller's article on Texas fandom history, please ping me and I'll be glad to fandom.- We have to remember and look help out with the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill forward.- I haven't visited the Virtual Fan Lounge area of NC and can also provide a little insight yet, but I appreciate the periodic invitations to into the early '90s Charlotte scene as well, pre- The Wasted Hour, and I-must do my part in ConCarolinas. spreading the word.- (Let's see--I can put it in at least one of my blogs.)- Many thanks to folks for the RavenCon reports; I literally did a drive-by on Saturday afternoon, Thanks to Tricia Overkamp for her Conflation driving up from Durham -- and note to self: report.- The theme was Firefly!- And I missed Richmond is *three* hours from Durham, not it!!- It sounds like you all had a lot of fun there.- I two! -- and back in the same day. I didn't make it bet those Reavers were scary.- And thanks to to any panels; my job was to deliver Baen Books Lynn Bailey for her RavenCon report.- Sounds swag to the con for the Barflies, the concom, and like a very eclectic con.- Davey Beauchamp's con the charity auction. After several strong, able- reports from the viewpoint of a guest were bodied, and kilted (yum!) Barflies unloaded my interesting and fun.- I'd love to see a Tardis ice car for me, I mostly crashed in Barfly Central. box.- Concom was going to try and find Katherine Thanks to Tom Feller for the fanzine listings--

Page 24 The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2 print and electronic; also to Warren Buff for the (emphasis mine) and the showing of episodes of additional zines.- The club and con listings are Buffy and (hack!ptui!) Torchwood.- Obviously always appreciated too. there was a lot of visual media at this literary Appreciatively, convention. Joy V. Smith--- Joy mentions Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series and says that the fan consensus was that We'd have to ask Mike Moon what the CAV in his there was too much sex.- I read the first graphic picture stands for. Thankfully, he's on the mailing novel adaptation (which I define as several list, and may be able to respond in a LoC of his consecutive comic books compiled into one own nextish. volume) of the series and, altho the art was We then heard from the elusive Tim Marion: perfectly acceptable, I found the story somewhat boring.- Perhaps if there had been some sex in it Hi Warren (as one woman author in the audience mentioned Excellent first issue of the SFC Bulletin, but of her publisher said that's what makes books course, you had good teachers. popular), I indeed, sorry to say, would have found it more interesting.- But also, more could have Also excellent con report by Joy Smith; her actually happened in the story without a lot of detailed report gave me a very strong sense of talking heads and intrigue about things a new being there, which is good, as I don't plan to reader wouldn't know about.- (Obviously I felt attend any conventions in the near future (main this novel could have been more graphic.) reason being, as I've said before, at home I'm attending a convention of nine cats where I am Then Joy says there was an aikido the Guest of Honor).- Perhaps, as reported by demonstration.- Obviously Oasis is quite a bit like Peter Sullivan, I (and many other hermit-minded a regular convention, in that you don't know quite individuals) will attend conventions in the future what to expect, except that it will definitely go in via the Virtual Fan Lounge.- Perhaps we will even tangents separate from the literature. be able to send holographic representations of As for the other con reports:- Tricia Overkamp ourselves to interact with the other fans.- (This obviously had a better time than I would have had would be fine as long as those holograms do not at Conflationmaybe a better time than I've had at develop wills and actions of their own, any convention!- I got the feeling from Lynn independent of us, then leaving us to be Bailey's con report that I would have had to have responsible for their behavior.) attended the con in order to understand almost I was concerned by three media items, however, anything she's writing about.- It was also good to mentioned in Joy Smith's con report.- In the first read con reports from a guest's point of view place, I was only mildly intimidated when Joy (Davey Beauchamp).- ConCarolinas sounds like a called Oasis a literary convention.- I was thinking lot of fun. to myself that, despite being involved in an Well, I've wasted lots of time (looking thru invitational apa of the same name so long ago (no Yahoo! for movies and the year 2012), so now I connection I'm sure), that I might never attend an have to finish this and get into the email to you.- Oasis (even if I were in the convention-going Thanks for giving this born again neo a chance to mood) due to fear that I might not be as up on the learn a little more about (current) fandom. literature as many of the other, better-read fans who might be attending.- But then Joy mentioned TiM a 40 Years of Star Trek panel which was full Thanks for writing in, TiM! I definitely got the

Page 25 The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2 impression that Tricia enjoyed Conflation, much last night. Its great fun, and a virtual chat is a new as I enjoy the cons I attend, and much as I hope fanac we can enjoy. I should jump into one of the you enjoy publishing So It Goes and LoCing. I Southern Fandom Classic chats, to see who's enjoy editing the SFCB because it allows me to there, and whats the topic. interact with fans of such diverse interests. Steampunk seems to be the next big interest, so Next, we heard from the fan no LoC column much so that we might be putting together would be complete without, Lloyd Penney: costumes, and we havent really costumed at 1706-24 Eva Rd. conventions for about 20 years. Theres a lot of Etobicoke, ON creativity involved, and thats caught our interest. I CANADA M9C 2B2 gather a steampunk convention is happening in the Bay area around San Francisco in October--I'll July 20, 2008 be looking for details about what happened, and Dear Warren: we might use that as inspiration for a steampunk event in Toronto. Well be doing a little research Thank you for Vol. 9, No. 1 of the SFC Bulletin. into steampunk fashion to see what we can make Its a hot, humid, rainy day in Toronto, and while I for ourselves. sit and sweat, Ill write a quick loc to keep my mind off things. Good lists of zines, websites and blogs--I keep copies of all my letters of comment to many of I must purchase a Southern Fandom handbook, the zines listed at lloydpenney.livejournal.com. plus an SFC patch. Im not sure how Id get the And then, you'll find out what I do in my spare cash to you, but Id like to get that. US$13 total, time, ha, ha but it would probably take up more postage to get it to Canada. Maybe I could send you $20, and Going to wind it up and get it going. Tomorrow is send me the change with the next issue, or the second day on the new job, being trained to be something like that? Let me know what can be the next membership and publications clerk for done. It looks like the Handbook will be revised, the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Wish so I might wait for that. me luck, and off this goes to you. Take care, and see you next issue. Well, Warren, you walked into this one, didn't you? Expressed the least bit of interest, and you Yours, Lloyd Penney. were press-ganged. Well, serves you right, and I The thing that interests me most about the chat think you'll enjoy yourself. Be careful what you sessions in the VFL is that this sort of room was ask for in the future, 'kay? the first sort of interaction I enjoyed online, in the Congratulations to Texas fans for fifty years of dark ages of the 90s. Then, they just sort of faded fun. We were in Dallas a couple of years ago now out. Now, I see Fandom embracing them. Weird, for the International Space Development but I'll take it. I, too, look forward to more Conference, and thats where me met lots of Texas steampunk events. Maybe I'll even throw a small fans, including Bill Ledbetter, who ran the one myself someday. volunteer office there. And, you've got one of And finally, we heard from Sheryl Birkhead via ours--we miss Kim Kofmel! the papernet: The Virtual Fan Lounge is a stroke of genius. Dear SFCBers, Now, Im on dial-up, so I cant watch the proceedings, but I can take part in the bulletin Out of curiosity, what is the medium for the cover board part of things, and we were a rowdy bunch illo lastish? Just wondered.

Page 26 The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2

Welcome to the helm, Mr. Buff. Long may you they could do on the printer side...) I tried to call reign. See what happens when you open your the manufacturers of various other bits of mouth?! hardware but hung up at the recorded messages of May Ghu smile on you in the handbook revision $3.95/minute. So, out of desperation (well, if the project. Raise a glass to all those volunteers that printer truly was dead I would have to get a new are going to be lining up to help you out. one, but it had been perfectly functional before the power outage...) I called the local Mac guy Nice to hear from Sue and Steve (Francis)--I look who takes pity on my lack of money and I try to forward to their Trip Report. I was, selfishly, keep my calls as short as possible. Anyway, he hoping there would be a sneak preview in thish of told me to yank out a power cord and wait two SFCB, but I'll just have to wait. minutes (not the 5-10 seconds I had in the Very nice fillo by Brad about Texas fandom...then directions that had worked up to now..). While I again, all of Brad's work is nice. Oh, yeah, was waiting (I promise you, you are going to congratulations Brad on the fanartist Hugo from LOVE this) for the two minutes, I noticed this Denvention 3. (Of course congratulations to all innocuous little cord just sitting there and the winners!) wondered...hmm--where did that come from? I had no idea. Finally, after taking a flashlight and Thank you for the conreports--look forward to looking at all the spiderweb-like cords going all mutterings about Denvention 3 nextish. It has over the place, I just broke down and looked for been many years since I attended a con. These any place the cord would fit. Um...er... back in days I get vicarious conventional (well...) rushes business-- whatever the cord was, it was the by just reading the reports from others. problem and must have just.... Yeah, and for that Well, I get 8 of the 12 (traditional)+6 electronic I was considering having to buy a new printer (at zines (not too sure what to do about the sites the very least having to cough up the tech charge listed) or about 50%--not too bad. and being chagrined when/if anyone figured out a cord must not have been plugged in. So- trust Wow, take a look at the convention listing-- me...most of it is dumb luck. (But I must also conventional fandom (so to speak) appears to be admit that I think Mac people, in general, tend to alive and well. be more try-to-do-it-yourself than PCers, but I Pamela- thank you for the kind words (albeit could be wrong--more for self-preservation than waaayyy too charitable!) about my computer anything else since there are not that many of us knowledge. Just last night my printer refused to out there.) do just that. I won't go into the details since I I just found out that I may be able to get DSL have no idea what I'm talking about--suffice it to after all (affording it is a totally different say that when I bought my system, I just talked to question) The biggie here is that if I do this, then people at the Mac Mall and ordered what they I will have a sufficiently efficient Internet told me to- so you need to make it work. As a connection to be able to actually utilize things result I have some connections I do not cyber, If I do that, the Mac guy said that is when understand and after a power outage it sometimes I should go for that loovveerly new Mac (last goes nuts. We had a very short power outage. I price check $3000) I was drooling over. The new followed the directions I had to get things OS is not compatible to most of my software, so I working again-nope, zip, nada, nothing. So, this would have to get (and learn how to use!) morning I called the printer people (who said my software to replace what I have been using for 8 year old printer and computer were so old I about 15 years or so. Then, I would have to buy a really needed to replace them and here was what

Page 27 The Southern Fandom Confederation Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2 new printer (aha!) and scanner to go with the new We also heard from T.K.F.W. Reinhardt, Charlotte system. SO, before all is said and done, the cost Proctor, Tom Feller, Julie Wall, Rich Dengrove, of the DSL would be a minor percentage of the Mandy Pack, Mike Moon, Allegra, Henry Welch, total, Sigh and a few others, especially at conventions. Isn't technology grand? Gotta start buying lottery tickets. So, once again, thank you for a nice issue! Sheryl Mike, that question about the medium medium of your cover illo sounds like a good one to pass off to you. A Denvention report? Well, looks like I actually had to write one myself I was hoping to get away with bringing in diverse voices to make reports, but it looks like for once, I'll be doing the talking. So here's my challenge: anyone who sees me at a convention, you're welcome to come up to me and offer up a conreport. I'll use one I get for each con I get them for.

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